1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for searching a computer network. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved system and method for searching within a particular web site on the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems in general and International Business Machines (IBM) compatible personal computer systems in particular have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today""s modern society. Systems with microprocessors are finding themselves in an array of smaller and more specialized objects that previously were largely untouched by computer technology. Computer systems typically include a system processor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, a display area, input means, and often interfaces, such as a network interface or modem, to other computing devices.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a system board to electrically connect these components together. These computing devices are information handling systems which are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user, or a group of users in the case of networked computing devices. Personal computing devices are often inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or businesses. Nonvolatile storage devices such as hard disks, CD-ROM drives and magneto-optical drives are considered to be peripheral devices. Computing devices are often linked to one another using a network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or other type of network, such as the Internet. By linking to other computer systems, a computing device can use resources owned by another computing device. These resources can include files stored on nonvolatile storage devices and resources such as printers.
Servers perform different services for client computer systems. Web servers often provide content, or information, to client computers. Because so much information is available on the Internet, users often use a search engine to find information. The user enters a request at a search engine web site and the engine returns web pages with relevant information back to the user. A particular returned page may be buried deep within the web page owner""s web site. After reviewing a returned web page, the user may wish to focus his or her searching on the web site. However, because the user may be deep within the web site, a challenge exists in finding a site-specific search engine.
Web sites often include a site-specific search engine designed to find information within the web site. Many web sites are very large with hundreds, if not thousands, of pages within the site. A site-specific search engine helps users find desired information by confining the search to the web site without searching other web sites. The user may try to find the web site""s root node, often called the site""s xe2x80x9chome pagexe2x80x9d to see if a site-specific search engine is available. If the home page is found and a site-specific search engine is also found, the user can enter his or her search request and receive the corresponding results. If, on the other hand, a site specific search engine cannot easily be found, the user often ends up repetitively using a xe2x80x9cfind on this pagexe2x80x9d feature from the browser to attempt to find the desired information on various pages found within the web site.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for locating a site-specific search engine from anywhere within a web site and, alternatively, providing a generic site-specific search engine if a search engine cannot be found.
It has been discovered that providing a system and method for identifying site-specific search engines increases users"" efficiency and enjoyment when searching for information on the Internet. In particular, providing a hidden HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) tag that identifies a web site""s search engine to a web browser running on a user""s computer system. When a user requests a site-specific search engine when using the web browser software, the hidden HTML tag is located identifying the site-specific search engine. The web page containing the site-specific search engine is opened so the user can enter a search request. The hidden HTML tag identifying the site-specific search engine is placed on every web page accessible from the web site. In this manner, the site-specific search engine is identifiable from any page a user F may be viewing.
If the HTML hidden text identifying the site-specific search engine is not found on the web page, a search is made of the root node, or xe2x80x9chome page,xe2x80x9d of the web site for a search screen. The system identifies search input fields and web pages indicative of search processing in order to locate a site-specific search engine. If a site-specific search engine is found, the web page containing the site-specific search engine is opened and displayed to the user. The user then enters"" a site-specific search request and the corresponding results are returned to the user.
Finally, if a site-specific search engine cannot be located, a generic site-specific search engine is used to search the current site for the information requested by the user. The user enters the information using a search request dialog box and the web site is searched beginning with the root node of the web site and traversing through other pages within the web site in order to build a list of web pages matching the user""s request. Once the list is built, it is displayed to the user and the user selects from the list to view web pages of interest.
The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the present invention, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth below.